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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562106">In Somnis Veritas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/exarite/pseuds/exarite'>exarite</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, No Uchiha Massacre, Uchiha Sasuke-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:42:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/exarite/pseuds/exarite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke wakes up in a world where the Uchiha are alive.</p><p>It isn't necessarily a better world, but he quickly learns that despite that, there is a price for everything.</p><p>(Set before Sasuke kills Itachi)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Itachi &amp; Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi &amp; Uchiha Shisui</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>146</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Somnis Veritas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sasuke falls asleep in a cheap inn and wakes up to an eerily familiar ceiling. He frowns. His head falls to his side and he freezes.</p><p>It's been years since he's been in this room.</p><p>"Kai," he whispers and flares his chakra slightly.</p><p>Nothing gives.</p><p>He activates his Sharingan and sits up, scanning over the room.</p><p>How—Why?</p><p>It’s almost easy to call upon the anger inside of him, the only thing fueling him the past few, dreary days. Who would bring him back to this wretched place and why?</p><p>He stands, form tight with tension as he takes in his childhood bedroom. He’s breathing heavily, he notes absentmindedly, and the clench of his jaw has begun to be painful.</p><p>It’s been years since he’s been in his old room. The days after he had woken up in the hospital, his mind destroyed by Him, he was too weak. 9 years old, the sight of the blood that had seeped into the wood where his parents had lain had been too much.</p><p>He was too fragile then, the events too fresh and his mind too pitiful. He couldn’t look at it without remembering the sight of his parents bleeding out, dead, and…Him.</p><p>But he had nowhere else to go. The Uchiha compound was home, even without all the people that came with it, and even then Sasuke hadn’t wanted to give Him the satisfaction of Sasuke leaving what was his. And so Sasuke had stayed in the compound, in a house on the outskirts. Close enough that it was still Uchiha, but far enough from the streets that had been painted red for days, the places where his kin had mingled and laughed and ran, the places where they had been cut down.</p><p>He hadn’t returned to his house, much less his bedroom.</p><p>And so for him to be here now…</p><p>Sasuke exhales, his eyes wild.</p><p>It looked different, he could see that now. Still his, but not the dilapidated bedroom of an 8-year-old that he had left behind. It was a little messy, the things decorating the room a little more mature and suited for someone his age, but still, Sasuke could tell it was the same room.</p><p>He flares his chakra again, more powerful this time, and yet, the genjutsu doesn't break.</p><p>It's only seconds after he's done so that his door is wrenched open and—</p><p>
  <em>Itachi!</em>
</p><p>Sasuke snarls, hands flashing at his side, but he's defenseless, his sword's not at his side. He has nothing, not even kunai or shuriken against Him. He has no chance of winning against Itachi, he knows this, especially when it seems as if he's already been in Itachi's mercy.</p><p>"Why am I here?" He demands, baring his teeth, his eyes wild. The cruelty of taking him back here, out of all places…</p><p>Itachi frowns at him. "I know you're upset you're not allowed to do missions right now, but really Sasuke, be reasonable."</p><p>"Reasonable?" Sasuke repeats incredulously, his hands clenching into fists by his side, his eyes wide. His Sharingan is activated, and he's vibrating with the urge to attack, to drive a knife right through his brother's chest and finally avenge his clan. His chakra spikes, killing intent filling the space between them.</p><p>Itachi shifts, his lax stance changing into one more battle-ready as his expression turns confused.</p><p>"Sasuke," he says warily. "What's wrong?"</p><p>And finally, Sasuke realizes that things are very, very wrong.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>In his defense, with the sudden appearance of all his relatives, the sight of his brother being trained underneath the Godaime, and having to deal with Sakura as his girlfriend and the deadlast, he has a lot on his plate.</p><p>Once he notices though, the lack is suddenly a gaping hole and try as he may, he can't ignore it. There are many things different about this world, and this Konoha, but one thing has stayed the same.</p><p>He puts down his chopsticks and clears his throat. Itachi glances over at him and raises a delicate eyebrow, the dango he had been holding hovering in front of him, the syrup slowly dripping.</p><p>"Where's Shisui?" Sasuke asks bluntly.</p><p>The gentle almost-smile on Itachi's face suddenly freezes out, and an expression that Sasuke is familiar with replaces it. He stills. The coldness and the hard stare of Itachi's eyes is nothing he hasn't seen, but he hasn't seen an expression or anything close to it on this Itachi's face. This Itachi smiled more, he was gentle, he was kind.</p><p>Nothing like the casual cruelty that he had displayed in the other world.</p><p>But now... Sasuke feels the acrid taste of fear on his tongue that his brother always manages to inspire in him and he knows he's fucked up.</p><p>"Why do you ask?" Itachi says coolly. Sasuke swallows, the knot in his throat heavy. He doesn't answer. He doesn't know what to say in response that won't give him away.</p><p>At his silence, Itachi sighs and places his dango back on his plate. Sasuke stays silent as his brother regards the sweets as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, his eyes flat.</p><p>Finally, Itachi speaks, his gaze never leaving his plate. "His last sighting was in Grass. That was a month ago."</p><p>Sasuke frowns. The way Itachi was talking made it seem as if Shisui was a rouge nin, but that was impossible.</p><p>In his world, Shisui was an Uchiha prodigy in his own right and he was loyal to both the Uchiha and Konoha. It was a painful loss for both when Itachi had murdered him in his world, just to get the Mangekyou.</p><p>Sasuke's fists clench underneath the table. Was that why he had gone missing? Did Itachi try to murder him in this world too?</p><p>Itachi picks up his stick and continues to eat, a forlorn, far-away expression on his features.</p><p>No... Sasuke couldn't imagine the Itachi of this world doing something like that. True, he hadn't thought his niisan could do something like that either when he was 8, but he was 17 now and he was better at reading the nuances.</p><p>Itachi... he looked sad at the very mention of Shisui. There was something there that Sasuke didn't know, something that had happened and he very well couldn't just ask about it either. The Sasuke of this world should know about it.</p><p>*</p><p>Here's another thing. The Naruto and the Sakura of this world are weak. Weaker than they are in his world.</p><p>Sasuke refrains from curling his lip at Sakura's lackluster taijutsu. She's good, certainly Chuunin level, but the earthquake punches and her ability to splinter trees and break bones with her bare fists are gone. She is nothing compared to his Sakura and Sasuke detests her for it.</p><p>This Sakura never saw the need to approach Tsunade. Naruto and Sasuke never left her behind and so...</p><p>Sasuke shakes his head, his eyes narrow. It's shameful, that's what it is. This Sakura will never reach her full potential. The Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi of this world have spoiled her, protected her and because of that, they've grounded her, clipped her wings before she could even fly.</p><p>He kicks and she flies back, scrambling to get back onto her feet. She spits out blood and stares at him with wide eyes. The Sasuke of this world is not cruel like he is, and Sasuke's coldness is a stark contrast to the warmth that this Sasuke shows his team.</p><p>His Sakura—and isn't it funny that he's referring to her as his Sakura? After everything that's happened?—the Sakura of his world, would beat her ten times over.</p><p>"I'm done," Sasuke says, narrowing his eyes at her. He has no patience for an unrewarding spar.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Sasuke's starting to get used to how things are different here, but then Tsunade assigns his brother and he a mission one day.</p><p>Of course, Sasuke goes. He does not trust his brother, but this man? It isn't his brother. It looks like him. Talks like him. Even smells like him.</p><p>But he's not Sasuke's Itachi, and that's all that matters.</p><p>They're in Grass, and maybe that should have been Sasuke's first hint that things were about to go wrong.</p><p>They notice too late. They hear the clash and clang, and they look at each other and nod.</p><p>It unnerves Sasuke how easily he and Itachi work together despite everything, but he puts it out of mind. There's no point. This isn't his world.</p><p>When they come to the clearing, there's only a man and a body on the ground.</p><p>The man turns. His cloak flutters in the air, the red clouds stark against the black and marking him as Akatsuki. Sasuke doesn't even notice, his gaze fixed on familiar features, the messy hair, the tilt of his lone eye, the scratched out Konoha headband.... and the three tomoes of a Sharingan.</p><p>"Shisui," he breathes. Numb. There's ice in his veins, and he's horrified.</p><p>"Sasuke," Shisui greets solemnly.</p><p>What could have compelled Shisui to join an organization as notorious as Akatsuki? His line was renowned in the Uchiha for their loyalty, and Sasuke can't imagine what circumstances must have come to for Shisui to become rouge.</p><p>"Shisui." His brother's tone is flat, but Sasuke can detect the anger thrumming underneath, a dangerous hum that makes Sasuke wary. Itachi is steadily leaking killing intent potent enough that even Sasuke's knees are weak. Shisui looks unaffected, his gaze steady as he meets his once best friend's eyes. Sasuke read up on Shisui's entry in the Bingo Book, but more than that, he knows that Shisui has a reputation for joking around and playing with his victims before he leaves them writhing in painful genjutsus or for dead. His cousin is solemn, expression flat and detached, and Sasuke doesn't understand why.</p><p>Sasuke's gaze switches back and forth between them, a little lost at the history and it frustrates him. Never has Itachi been angry with Shisui, not like this. Annoyed, yes, constantly. Exasperated too, but always with a tinge of fondness.</p><p>This encompassing anger, it burns, and it doesn't have a place in how Itachi and Shisui interact. It's this that makes Sasuke realize just how different this world is from his. Not even this Itachi's kindness and gentleness has hit him this much, because even that, Sasuke remembers from his childhood. Even if it was replaced by the coldness of his Itachi, Sasuke remembers that his brother was kind once too.</p><p>But his brother has never once been angry at or hated Shisui.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This is what Sasuke sees the moment that Itachi and Shisui clash: an expression of utmost heartbreak on his brother's face, just barely overwhelmed by the anger in his eyes.</p><p>All he can do is watch.</p><p>Shisui has always been faster than Itachi, but even until now, Sasuke is insistent on the fact that his brother is stronger. But the Itachi of this world does not have the Mangekyou, and Shisui still does.</p><p>Itachi's sword slides through Shisui's chest.</p><p>It's like a film's been lifted off Itachi's eyes. Itachi visibly startles, his eyes wide and the anger that had perverted most of his features is gone, replaced by horror and heartbreak.</p><p>"You," Itachi stutters. Sasuke knows what he's thinking. He saw it too. The Sharingan doesn't miss anything. Shisui had let himself get stabbed. Shisui smiles at Itachi, blood dribbling down his lips. The forced blank expression on his face is gone, his gaze unbelievably fond and his features soft. The juxtaposition is stark, and Sasuke is thrown by the sheer difference in his face, in his body language, even in the way he simply looks at Itachi.</p><p>"You used your Mangekyou on me?" Itachi's voice breaks. Sasuke's eyes widen. What?</p><p>"I had to," Shisui whispers. The only reason Sasuke understands him is because of the Sharingan's ability to read lips. "I didn't trust anyone but you to kill me, Itachi."</p><p>"But why?" Itachi demands, his voice hoarse as he releases his grip from his sword, his hands coming up. One to wrap around Shisui's shoulder and the other to press where Shisui's been stabbed. Shisui's body curls into his, his eyes slipping closed into a look that Sasuke can only describe as content, as if he's been yearning for a kind touch for years.</p><p>Itachi's hands glow into the green of medical chakra. Sasuke knows that it's useless. His brother's knowledge of medical ninjutsu is adequate, but he's not at the level to save Shisui. "Everything you've ever done… Everything we've done, just to make things right… How could you make me hate you? How could you order me to kill you?"</p><p>"You're the only one I trust, 'tachi," Shisui says. "You're the only one who could avenge what I've done."</p><p>Itachi's face morphs into despair. "I…I remember, I understand now why you did what you did. They would have blamed the clan but--Shisui, I thought you betrayed me."</p><p>"I promised you," Shisui murmurs, his teeth bloody and his eyes just a little too wild as he grabs hold of Itachi's glowing green hand. "I would never betray you."</p><p>Tears start to trickle down his brother's eyes and Sasuke can't look, the tenderness of Itachi's hands on Shisui is too much and he feels like a voyeur watching something private.</p><p>"Get my eye back from him," Shisui hisses, and the venom in his tone shocks Sasuke. Who was he talking about? A bloodline thief? Who would even… Who would even dare? The consequences of stealing someone's doujutsu was grave. It was despicable, even the Senju didn't resort to it during the Warring States Era. Was it someone from a different village? "Destroy it, if you must."</p><p>Itachi nods, his gaze hard.</p><p>"You don't ever have to forgive me," Shisui whispers. "But know this... I will love you always."</p><p>Itachi cries out, a broken sob. Animal like. He cradles Shisui in his arms, his features twisted as Shisui bleeds out in front of him, the life dimming from his remaining eye.</p><p>The last thing Sasuke sees is his brother's Sharingan twisting into the Mangekyou it had been in his world, blood dripping down his eye.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is a oneshot for now, because i don't have the time or the commitment to keep it going. my dream is that this goes on, sasuke waking up in different worlds, and at the end he learns the truth of the uchiha massacre.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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